I wonder how many McDonald's or similar "name" chains might have railroad equipment as part of the "ambience".

In the NW Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, IL is a McDonald's which has used an ex-Chicago Rapid Transit (CTA) 4000 series elevated car as a dining addition to the main building. This car has been in place for probably at least 20-25 years. It is on a piece of panel track.

The car interior was gutted and standard MickeyD seating/tables are installed. From the outside at first glance (other than a series of god-awful paint schemes) the car appears to be otherwise relatively intact. I suppose common sense would have dictated the removal of semi-dangerous things like batteries, and perhaps the good folks down the road at IRM may have gotten the odd piece of needed equipment.

It's an interesting addition to the otherwise "stock" McDonald's,, what is most interesting to me is that there is no obvious discernable reason for it being there. My assumption is that the franchise owner is a railfan.

_________________J. Cloos/NW Chicago Suburban Area

Tom Cornillie

Post subject: Re: Fall River McDonalds coach

Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:41 pm

I suspect that this is a former AT&SF coach. However, the Rock Island did have very similar cars which ended up with the CNJ for their commuter service, and are reported to have been scrapped entirely by Naporano. I wonder if this car is a survivor from that group? Does anybody here have firm information about the heritage of this car, or information about its current structural condition or interior configuration?

Tom Cornillie

survivingworldsteam

Post subject: Re: Fall River McDonalds coach

Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 11:27 pm

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:45 amPosts: 1118Location: Beaumont, Texas

FoxValley wrote:

I wonder how many McDonald's or similar "name" chains might have railroad equipment as part of the "ambience".

There is a McDonald's on the north side of Houston, TX that has a Caboose for a party room; there is also one in Colorado (will have to ask my wife exactly where) that also has a caboose for a party room. Roger Kirkpatrick may be familiar with these and others.

I wonder how many McDonald's or similar "name" chains might have railroad equipment as part of the "ambience".

There is the "Barstow Station" in Barstow, CA with numerous pieces of rolling stock that make up the MickeyDs and associated shops.

sc 'doc' lewis

Topfuel

Post subject: Re: Fall River McDonalds coach

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 8:46 am

Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:49 pmPosts: 370

This car does appear to be an ex-ATSF PS 1947 or 1950 44 seat coach. Most of the PS built CRI&P cars from that era were rebuilt with flat stainless steel above and below the windows, or just below the windows.

No doubt, as per the "National Restaurant Owner's Guide to Adaptive Re-Use of Railroad Equipment" manual, this car has been completely gutted, and a gaping hole has been cut somewhere into the superstructure.

Ed Kelley

Post subject: Re: Fall River McDonalds coach

Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 9:43 pm

Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2004 10:13 pmPosts: 348Location: Metropolis

Not sure if it's still there but a Mickey D's in Sunnyvale, CA, had a caboose of unknown origin...

Richard Glueck

Post subject: Re: Fall River McDonalds coach

Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 12:14 pm

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:26 amPosts: 3903Location: Maine

Been there - done that. "Captain Nick's" in Bangor, Maine, is partly comprised of an old ex-Canadian Pacific heavyweight with the standard gaping hole cut through it. For years it stood in the classic CPR "red wine" paint with gold lettering, then somebody thought flat pale blue with a white stripe was better. All in all, I have to say it doesn't look bad from the exterior.
But consider this; If we started a thread with pictures of every novelty restaurant using railroad equipment as an attraction, the list would probably extend for thousands upon thousands of posts. And considering what happens to so much of the stuff as restaurants come and go, would you care to call it "preservation"?

There are a few smart places where the coach/diner is connected to the main building at the vestibule end, avoiding the body destruction. This provides a customer entrance and an emergency fire exit at the other end without changine the car structure. We ate at such a restaurant in New Jersey, I think it is on an exit of I-78 and visible from the highway (that is how we found it). This one appeared to be a heavyweight coach or parlor. It still had some interior fittings and wood inlay paneling.

I seem to recall that the McDonalds in Alamogordo NM also includes a caboose.
Dan

EDM

Post subject: Re: Fall River McDonalds coach

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:26 am

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 9:54 amPosts: 828Location: NJ

The I-78 car is one of the CNJ Blue Comet obs cars, just west of Clinton. There are/were a pair of Stillwells near Whitehouse Station on Rt. 22, and I've eaten in an FEC(?) car at Rod's in Convent Station. There is also a bay window caboose at McDonalds on Rt. 38 in Mt. Holly.

I agree, a list of rail equipment at eating establishments would be a long one.

JohnCloos

Post subject: Re: Fall River McDonalds coach - List of Equipment

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 10:36 am

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:59 pmPosts: 308

Agreed, a list of all existing railcar uses would be long and likely of little value. Let's change it up a bit,, are there any "treasures" out there that have real preservation value ? Something added as a building add-on that over time has truly become of historic value ?

This idea is something akin to the unknown hundreds (?) of streetcar
and trolley bodies built into roadside diners. A car of little value once the line folds up becomes a rare treasure after 50-60+ years as a restaurant.

Examples ?

_________________J. Cloos/NW Chicago Suburban Area

caboose9

Post subject: Re: Fall River McDonalds coach

Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 11:32 am

Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:35 amPosts: 332Location: Cortez, CO 81321

survivingworldsteam wrote, "There's a McDonald's in Colorado that has a caboose for a party room."

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